A Little Chat
by Angelic Temptress
Summary: Written with Crhblack If HG and GL could just be honest with each other, maybe it would sound like this... Slightly AU


A Little Chat

By: Angelic Temptress and Crhblack

Disclaimer: You got us. We really own JLU and all its characters. I claim Shayera and Bruce; he's got John and Mari.

Rating: PG-13 for the sake of argument

Spoilers: None, but it takes place after "Hunter's Moon"

A/N: This is definitely placed in an alternate universe where neither John or Shayera are afraid to confront their fears. Sure, they don't exactly stay true to character because they don't keep themselves in check… Enjoy… We doubt it'll happen on the series.

And thanks to Missy! The beta from Heaven.

XXX

The flight back from Oa leaves John Stewart tired as he uses his last bit of willpower to fly through his window and land in his apartment. He knows a cold one, a hot shower, and a comfortable mattress is just what the doctor ordered.

He notes that his apartment has a stale smell to it, and he crinkles his forehead. It's been nearly on a month since he's been home.

The Denebians are notoriously stubborn in negotiations. He tried his best to beg off, but Katma wanted him there. She needed someone she could trust. He shakes his head at the fact and sighs.

XXX

"Nice, isn't it?" Black Canary quietly asks Shayera and moves to her side. She is standing near one of the Watchtower's many unbreakable windows, staring out at the glowing stars.

Shayera gives her a look few know too well. "It's space. It doesn't change."

"I guess not." Dinah smiles at her teammate and runs a hand through her blonde locks. "I was wondering if you'd like to join a couple of us girls down at the bar." Before Shayera can take a rain check, as the humans say, Canary interrupts. "You're not working, so don't try to play it off as if you are."

"I don't think so, Dinah." She feels strange calling the woman by her real name but brushes off the emotion. "I'm actually meeting someone tonight."

Both of Canary's eyebrows perk up. "Really? You have a date?"

Shayera flinches on the inside and realizes what she just admitted. Women are the same everywhere, whether they are Thanagarian officers or Leaguers. They thrive on gossip.

"Not a date. Just a meeting." She turns on her heal and says goodbye over her shoulder. Once she reaches her room, she grabs the small charm from her dresser and whispers a spell; Zatanna once taught Shayera how to create a temporary glamour. Instantly her wings disappear, and she stuffs the charm in her pocket.

XXX

The steaming shower does wonders for his aroma, and the ice cold Coke burns his throat as only Coke can. He decides that tonight he'll pamper himself by ordering some takeout from the little Chinese place nearby.

Forty-five minutes after ordering from Mrs. Lee, shrimp fried rice, spring rolls, and fried wantons are stuffed in his stomach. He sits back in his chair and laughs to himself as he remembers the older lady asking him if he wanted eel heads.

John thinks to make himself scarce in case Flash decides to come zipping by that evening. He reaches for the shades sitting on the coffee table but places his ring in his pocket rather than on his finger.

Sometimes it's just nice hanging around as John Stewart.

The streets teem with life. The sounds and smells assault his senses, and he's almost overwhelmed by it all. Being away for so long makes him wonder if he's as alien as any Denebian, but he quickly dismisses that thought as a pretty young girl with smooth chocolate skin smiles in his direction.

"It's good to be home."

XXX

The area she's walking through, a nice little part of Detroit some would call suburbia, is full of life. It's like a little city, filled with lights, cafés, restaurants, and happy people. Shayera tightens the duster around herself and smiles at a small boy who smiled at her first. A part of her is worried someone might notice the slits in her coat, but she tries to ignore her worry.

She strolls into the bookshop to buy a couple of books to read in her spare time. Someone, maybe Supergirl, said the new Coldplay CD was good, so she picks that up along with the acoustic Alanis Morissette album.

XXX

He grabs an ice cream cone from a street vendor. As he licks the first of two scoops, an alarm blares. John instinctively puts a hand in his pocket but stops himself. He knows there are police and firemen to handle it. They are, after all, the real heroes.

But he still walks a little quicker in the direction of the noise.

Just to make sure.

Several police cars zoom past him, and he breaks into a small jog after tossing the cone in the trash. He fully intends to allow the authorities to handle it because he doesn't want anything to spoil this rare night with no concerns.

Even Katma noticed he was more rigid than usual.

He arrives at the scene and finds the action all done: a standard hold up. The victim, an older woman who reminds him of the "mothers" in his church when he was young, is sitting in a chair with a woman officer comforting her. The juvenile is already handcuffed and sprawled on the squad car's hood.

John shakes his head sadly. There was a time when the youngster would have been helping her home instead of holding her up. He gives a quick nod to the woman and regains his leisurely pace.

After checking his watch, he walks to an empty alley and slips on his ring, lifting to the sky. He needs to end the perfect evening with a good night's sleep.

The blinking red light on the machine catches his attention when he lands in the apartment, and, against better judgment, he checks the message.

Wally. The kid did zip by! John smiles and silently agrees to take him out for a brew one night next week.

His clothing disappears, leaving him in boxers, and he lies on the couch to idly flip through the channels.

The phone rings, and he knows it's probably Flash because Mari is on assignment. Mumbling, he picks it up just as the answering machine clicks on.

XXX

Shayera catches a glimpse of a family as she leaves the bookstore. The man has dark skin like their little girl, and the woman has pale skin. Their young girl is laughing as her father tosses her into the air and catches her. Shayera can't help chuckling herself.

Then John enters her mind. She sighs.

She considers retreating. It's been only three weeks since the Thanagarian ambush on that moon, just three weeks since she started considering forgiving herself for all the pain and misery she caused.

Unconsciously, she finds herself walking toward his home.

"I haven't seen you around these parts before," a man's voice tells her as she passes him. The blue-eyed blonde man smiles at her from a seat outside of a small café.

"I'm not from around here," she replies and continues on her journey. She has promised herself that she wouldn't give up on John. Within the past couple of years, both being near him and thinking about him from afar, she's realized how much he truly meant to her.

"Absence makes the heart grow fonder…"

She stops at the last of few payphones still working on the street. Because most everyone uses cell phones, public telephones are very rare or rarely serviced.

Shayera dials and waits. He picks up. She almost freezes.

But doesn't. "John?"

XXX

He almost drops the phone. "Shayera?"

"Yeah. Hi. Sorry that this is so odd… or random."

A million questions race through his head. "Why aren't you using your comm.?"

"I've got the night off and figured it would be nice not to use it."

John hears clamor in the background. "Where are you? Are you in trouble?"

"No. No. I'm somewhere on the east side of town, where there are a lot of coffee shops and restaurants. The noise is just people having fun."

"You're in Detroit?" He pauses to make sure he doesn't say anything stupid. "So, um, do you want me to get you? I mean, to come to where you are?"

"I didn't call for rescuing, John. I called just to be friendly."

Sheepishness overtakes him. "I'm sorry, Shayera. I'm just very surprised to hear from you."

"No. I didn't mean to startle you. And, actually, I was hoping I could see you tonight."

He swallows hard. "Oh! Well, sure. I just returned from Deneb and Oa, so I don't have anything special for guests…"

"That's fine. We could just walk around here. It seems kind of lively."

After rationalizing a twinge in his stomach as Chinese food, he answers, "Okay. I'll meet you in five."

After all, what is wrong with going out with a teammate?

"Looking forward to it."

They end the conversation. He uses his ring to create a relaxed look for himself: jeans and a green short sleeve oxford. As he heads for the window, his eyes catch a glimpse of the picture on the table. Her smiling brown eyes seem to be questioning his motives.

"Just heading out with a teammate," he answers back.

XXX

Shayera hangs up the phone and glances at her reflection in a closed shoe store's front window. She decides that her hair is fine, but she feels a little heavy in the jeans, white tee, and duster.

With arms crossed over her chest, she waits as the wind slightly picks up. The air has already begun to remind people of the end of summer and the birth of fall.

John manages to pick her out among the throng to tap her on the shoulder, and she turns to face him; her throat immediately goes dry. _He's the man I fell in love with… when I was Hawkgirl. _

"Hey."

"Hey, yourself. Not exactly your neck of the woods. So, what's happening?"

"Nothing. Just wanted a breath of fresh air." She smiles at him and looks him up and down, liking what she sees. "How've you been?"

"Stuck in a cease fire pact on Deneb 5. I would rather sit through an Altarian massage than do that again!" He shakes his head and laughs a little. "But that's the past. What's going on with you?"

Her smile slightly dies, and she starts to walk. He quickly follows and matches her stride. "I'm sure you've heard about the ambush. Vix – er – Mari probably filled you in if J'onn hasn't."

He purses his lips together. "I've read just Vigilante's report." After a few minutes, he adds, "I'm sorry."

"Don't be. I guess I kind of asked for it."

"No, I'm sorry about Thanagar." Another pause ensues. "I'm sorry about Talak."

"Yeah. Me too," she replies and fakes a smile.

John takes a hard swallow. "I know you… still had feelings for him. I'm sorry."

"You humans are so funny." Shayera stops walking to face him. "You act as if feelings die with relationships, that you can move on with no effects."

"No, that's not what I meant. Contrary to what you think, we humans hold on to feelings _long_ after the relationship has ended."

"I know. It was just that Mari asked a similar question the other day."

His lip twitches. "I see." John pulls off his glasses for a second. "Shayera, I want you to know that I understand what you felt and still feel. It's only natural."

"Doesn't make it any easier. A lot of my people are dead because of what I did. Hro is dead because of we did."

He flinches and tightens his jaw when the words leave her mouth before slowly turning to walk ahead a little. "I understand."

"No. You don't. We stopped them, rightly by the way…" _Damn it. I slipped up._

John whirls around. "Look. Had I known about you and him, I never would have…" He pauses and tries to regain his composure. "Look, you didn't come here to fight. Let's just enjoy the weather."

She nods. "I didn't mean to upset you. What we did is done, and I don't regret a second of it." The revelation probably hits Shayera harder that is does John.

His shoulders droop a little. "But it cost you a life you had dreamed of."

"Maybe, but how could I live the life of a soldier who murdered an entire world of interesting and beautiful beings only because I was told to?" She takes a step closer to him and carefully pulls him into a hug. "I never meant to hurt you."

His body stiffens, but she notes how easily her frame fits into his form. John then gently pats her back, avoiding her invisible wings, and mutters, "I know, Shayera. I know. I never meant for you to get hurt either."

"But do you?" she whispers in his ear, making sure he could feel her breath on his lobe. After slowly pulling away, she continues on their path.

XXX

He watches Shayera in stunned silence. "Do I what?" he mumbles to himself. He hastens his gait to catch up to her.

"Do you know how I ached when Hro showed up? I avoided telling you because it would hurt you… I guess I almost hoped Hro wasn't."

"Well, I wasn't jumping for joy, especially when you flew right up to him." _I don't know if I was more in shock or just disbelief._ John tries to keep his voice level to hide the pain that still pricks him from that night in Washington.

"I was confused… I've grown since then. I've grown a lot."

He earnestly looks at her. "Yes, I would say you have. We all have. We're no longer the naïve heroes who thought they could just show up and put things right. Even the _Boy Scout_ is hardening."

"Happens," she murmurs and takes a glance at a family of three to their left.

He follows her gaze. "Cute kid." His gut suddenly wrenches as he thinks about Rex.

"She's beautiful. Funny how her eyes are light, though she's got darker skin than her mother."

"Yeah." He gulps. "Genes are funny that way. Umm, were you ever concerned that we might have… you know?"

"Might have what?" she asks, not fully understanding what he means.

John glances at the girl again. "Nothing. Hungry?"

"Are you?"

"Not really. I had some, er, take out earlier, but I could stand a cold one."

"Sounds good to me." She motions toward the nearest bar. "My treat?"

"Nah, you're the guest in my city. I'll buy."

"All right, but you might want to rethink that. You know I could drink you under the table any day of the week." She chuckles and holds the door open for him.

"Who said I was drinking alcohol?" He winks at her.

"Yeah right."

They both stroll in and find two seats in the far corner of the bar table, probably the darkest area in the place. They then sit in comfortable if not relaxed silence as the barmaid brings the first round.

"Vigilante gave you a good report."

"He did?" Shayera chuckles with surprise laced in her voice. She shakes her head. "He's a good guy. We have our differences, and he's rather stubborn. Didn't like listening to me much."

"Vigilante hasn't logged a lot of time in space. Plus, I don't think he's used to working with two strong willed ladies."

"Yeah. Flash would've been the only male who wouldn't have complained."

He smirks at the remark and then takes a long sip of his drink.

"So John, what's new with you? Anything happen lately?" She also lifts her bottle from the table but doesn't drink.

John shakes his head in the negative. "I had that blasted assignment and tried my best to get out of it. The Denebians are intractable in their negotiations, but Kat insisted I be there as her assistant."

"You do have the talent for attracting stubborn women, John." She finally takes a quick gulp of the dark beer and adds, "She probably didn't think Rayner was good enough to bring along."

Again, he laughs dryly and twirls the amber liquid in the brown bottle. "Kat and I always argued. Even when we were together, we fought like cats and dogs. Pun intended. I think that's why she wanted me there. She knows I would have no problem telling her what I think, even if it's totally against what she thinks."

"Makes perfect sense." Her bright eyes move to the bar table, unconsciously studying the wood. "You know, I was so jealous when I first met her."

John nearly spits out his mouthful. "You're kidding!"

"Nope. Ask her about what I said to her sometime…" Shayera bites her lower lip. "Anyway, you're both experienced Lanterns; she needed someone she could depend on."

With a nod, he agrees. "Basically, that's what it boils down to. How about you? What's going on in your life?"

XXX

"Well, I work on the Watchtower, and I'm assigned missions… That's about it." When he sends Shayera a questionable look, she adds, "But Canary invited me out to a bar tonight."

His eyebrows rise slightly. "So why didn't you take up her offer?"

"Because girls like that don't hang out with girls like me." Shayera doesn't see the look he throws her. "I'd much rather play Flash's new XBOX game." She takes another swig of her dark beer and wipes her mouth with the back of her hand.

"Oh. I see."

Shayera also notes the smile in his bright eyes and narrows her own. "I mean, I guess I'd fit better with that crowd than with Diana or… someone else along those lines… but Canary and Zatanna are both from Gotham, and we know how the Gotham folks feel about me these days."

"You'd be surprised. It might do you some good to get out every once in a while."

Taking offense, Shayera straightens in her seat. "I go out," she counters. When John gives a look that signals he knows there's something more to her defense, she adds, "Maybe I'm alone, but I don't sit in my quarters all evening long. I mean, unless I'm reading."

His right eyebrow remains cocked. "Shayera, as your teammate and hopefully your friend, you can't stay cooped away for ever. Trust me. I know how guilt can slowly make someone the walking dead."

"I told you that I'm not cooped up. I go out to bars and restaurants and such." She swallows some more beer, which she decides doesn't have enough alcohol, and signals the dark-haired barmaid to get her a shot of Jack Daniels.

To her undeniable surprise, John takes one of her hands and searches her eyes with his own. "Seriously now, are you okay?"

Shayera looks down at their hands. She feels as if it's been too long since she felt the touch of another. "I'm fine," she insists. She doesn't know how to tell him about the declaration she and Mari concluded.

Should she tell him that she is embarking on a silent battle for him?

"Glad to hear."

Her forehead wrinkles, but she doesn't pull away from his grasp. "You don't believe me, so why are you not prying?"

"Because I don't have the right."

She shakes her head. "Jeez, John. You have every right to pry. The whole damn League earned that right when I screwed up."

"No, none of us have that right. Not even me."

Her mouth opens and closes a few times before she speaks. "I was talking with Mari."

John instantly eases the grip on her hand. "Oh?"

"Yeah. Don't worry. We didn't fight." She smiles and pulls her hand away from his. "Mari said that you talked about me, that you… still had feelings for me."

He presses his lips together, slightly flinching at the statement. "I…"

"Shit. I'm sorry." Shayera glances around the bar and hopes no one else notices her anxiety as she stands. "I shouldn't have… I should go. This isn't fair to you."

His arm flashes out, grasping her elbow. "No." John also glances around the room, hoping he's not making a scene. "Shayera, we've been avoiding this since you flew away from Wayne Manor. For my sanity, for your sanity, for Mari's, it's time we had _the talk_."

She retakes her seat and nods. "Okay, but I thought we already had this talk." As his hand falls to his side, she swallows hard and waits for him to say something.

John gulps down the rest of his beer. "You broke my heart."

Shayera bites her lower lip. They last time they had a _talk_, he basically told her he was with Mari and very happy. "I know it doesn't fix things, but I'm sorry. I didn't mean to fall in love with you. It just happened." She lowers her gaze to her lap and continues. "What I did was irresponsible and unforgivable."

He places a hand on her shoulder, allowing his fingers to slightly graze her neck. "No, I'm the one to blame. You tried to warn me. You told me things were complicated. I didn't want to listen."

"I didn't really try… I didn't want to because I wanted you. When I almost lost you…" Her voice cracks lightly, but she ignores it as best as she can. "You were warm and loving and I didn't want to let go. I found myself wishing Hro would never come. I thought Thanagar would forget their soldier and leave her to her new life with her new love."

"So why did you leave? After the invasion, I mean. I wanted you to stay, but I forced you into our relationship and wasn't about to force you to stay."

"John… I was fighting so many battles, both internal and external. I struggled with my own identity, I betrayed the League, I fought Thanagarians, I fought both you and Hro… I needed to be alone and figure out who I was and why I was here." She spins in her barstool to face him. "The Fates took me in because I was so lost."

"Are you lost now?"

"No," she replies and shakes her head. "This Shayera knows what she needs to do and what she wants."

He pauses, waiting for her to speak. She knows he's not going to push her into revealing her thoughts. John signals the barmaid to bring two more beers.

"I'm part of the League, whether the other sixty-some members like it or not. I am a traitor, and I've dealt with it in my own way." She glances at the untouched shot of whiskey beside her empty bottle and watches the woman place the next round before them. "And I'm still in love with the one man who should hate me the most."

XXX

Thunder roars in the distance, but John isn't sure if it's real or his imagination. He feels as if Mari is pulling on his heart, warning him of the green-eyed hawk who has already labeled him as her prey.

He blankly stares at the bottle. "I don't hate you. I never hated you."

"I wouldn't have blamed you if you did."

John raises his stare to her face. "I could never hate you. Never."

"What I did to you…" Her sentence stops, and she restarts. "I acted like a child who stole gumdrops from the candy store.

"You didn't steal anything. You took what was freely offered."

"Ditto," she says with a weak smile and places a hand atop his.

He instantaneously grips hers and recognizes the hand holding as a sign of friendship, a sign of being united in a cause, a sign of understanding. "You know about Mari and me?"

Her face twists oddly. "Um, please! You did everything but shout it to the world!"

John ignores her drama. "She was there during a down time. She soothed away a lot of pain. She's tough and beautiful." He starts his second bottle. "Did she tell you how she felt?"

"Technically, I'm not supposed to share that sort of information because it's against women's code, but she did mention that things were a little rocky right now. You hadn't taken her out her in a month."

He hangs his head in shame. "She deserves so much better. I took her to breakfast in Beijing when you got back from that moon." John takes another swig. "When you returned, Mari and I had just started to really date. I tried to keep space between us because Mari didn't deserve to feel like the _rebound girl_. I really wanted to see if we could work together."

"That's what Flash said," she mumbles and gives a small sigh. "That's why I stayed away from you."

"I didn't know what to do. I won't lie and say that I don't care for Mari. I do. But, I can't sit here and pretend that I don't have feelings for you as well." He tilts the bottle back and finishes the beer with a few more chugs.

"I know." She leans in towards John, maybe too close, as she speaks. "I won't lie to you, and I don't want either you or Mari to get hurt. I want you to figure this out by talking to Mari. Maybe you'll even swoop me up in your green aura and take me somewhere…"

He feels himself giving into her charm. Unconsciously, he starts leaning in closer to her.

Shayera captures his lips with her own. John remembers the feel of those lips. As other intimate moments dash across his brain, he recalls the pain Shayera caused him.

John also remembers Mari.

Shayera pulls away before John does. She tries to fight back tears as she apologizes for her actions. He catches a falling droplet on his finger.

"You broke my heart once. Can you honestly say you won't break it again?"

"Can anyone?" Shayera straightens his shirt before asking. "Can you?"

"I need to tell you something. It's been weighing on me heavily." After she nods, he continues. "Shayera, I saw something, or rather someone, on the trip into the future. I don't know what to make of it."

"Okay. What did you see? I mean I really hope it wasn't an old, wrinkled version of me because I'm sure that could be terrifying," she says with a grin.

He gives a dead serious look. "I saw your son."

XXX

"My son?" Her eyes widen, and her breath gets caught in her throat. She then randomly downs her shot of whiskey. "Well… then what's he look like? Is he handsome? Is he… Who is his father?"

John takes in a deep breath. "He's a fine man. He's like you in a lot of ways: rash, impulsive, hot headed…"

"Who is his father, John?" she demands more than requests. "Is he yours?"

"Well, he's got my nose."

A smile slowly appears on her face as a tear slips down her cheek. "Thank you," she whispers before pressing her lips to his again. This time, she doesn't care about any morals or what the other people in the room might be thinking.

He gently dislodges from her lips. "Shayera, what I saw was a possible future. When we stopped Chronos, I don't know if that changed what I saw." He kills the rest of his drink. "His name is or will be Rex, Rex Stewart. I didn't see you. I don't know how he came into being…"

"Well, I think human parents use birds and bees as examples." When she receives a death glare, she stops joking. "Rex, huh?" Shayera crosses her arms over her chest and nods. "I understand that… what I don't understand is my letting you name our son after Metamorpho."

He smirks at the remark. "Rex is my best friend. Besides, you probably owed me for making my life miserable during your pregnancy. I have it on good authority that you were a very cranky pregnant lady." John lets his face drop as the mood becomes more somber. "What does this all mean?"

"I don't know." Shayera drinks a good portion of her second beer and runs a hand through her red strands. "That all depends."

"Depends?"

"On you. Are you willing to pick up with me, a woman who both broke your heart and nearly got you and your friends killed? And if so, for what reason? Because Rex is supposed be conceived or because you know you want to love me for the rest of your life?"

"I suppose that is what it all boils down to." He fiddles with his empty bottle. "I wish I had never seen Rex in some respects. I… want to love the woman of my dreams for all the right reasons. I don't want to be second guessing myself if I made the right choice for the right reasons."

"Yeah." She sighs once more and stands again. "Maybe I should go… and…" She doesn't want to leave. She wants John to hold her. "What does he look like?" Shayera questions softly.

"He has your eyes and mouth. Actually, he's fairer than I thought. He's pretty tall, taller than I am. He has dark hair."

"Wings?"

"Metallic."

"And he has your nose?" When John nods, she smiles. "Well, if Rex is born and if it's at all possible, I hope for the sake of our grandchildren that he'll have other very important characteristics from his father." She then winks.

His eyebrows raise in question and can only shake his head at what she meant. "Shayera, I needed to tell you about Rex. No secrets. He is our son, I can't think of a better woman to be his mother."

She blushes. "Ditto to that one too, John." She steels a glance outside and notices the street is empty. "If you decide what you want to do, you know where to find me."

John stands as well. "I know." As she turns, he tells her, "Thanks." Her smile grows, and she leans in to kiss him again, almost waiting to see if he'll kiss her first. Instead, John leans down and pulls her into a fierce embrace as he kisses her forehead. "I'll always love you."

"I know that now," she mutters into his chest. After once again fixing his shirt, she adds, "By the way. You looked really sexy tonight." Just as his eyebrows pop up again, she whirls around and leaves the bar.

The End


End file.
